The present invention is directed to low calorie, substantially fat-free processed cheese products having textural and organoleptic mouthfeel characteristics simulating conventional processed cheese slice products, as well as to methods for making such products.
Processed cheese is conventionally prepared by blending milkfat-containing cheeses and other dairy products such as non fat dry milk and whey solids with emulsifying salts such as disodium phosphate at elevated temperatures to produce a homogeneous, pumpable, fluid cheese material which may be formed into sheets, slices or other forms, and packaged for consumer use. The substantial milkfat content of processed cheese products not only provides a soft body and texture as well as desirable melt characteristics, but also facilitates the processing at elevated temperatures of the natural cheese components in the manufacturing process. Elimination or even substantial reduction of the fat content of processed cheese may have a detrimental effect on the body and texture of the resulting product as well as the processing of the cheese melt.
Very significant technical effort has been directed over many years toward the development of reduced fat or substantially fat-free food products which possess characteristics simulating the texture and mouthfeel of edible fat-containing food products. Such efforts include the use of various types of undigested fat-like materials such as sucrose polyesters and polyglycerol polyesters which are intended to pass through the digestive system without absorption. Substantial work has also been carried out over an extended period of time with bulking agents such as powdered and microcrystalline cellulose in fat-containing and reduced fat food products. In this regard, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,067,037, 3,141,875, 3,157,518, 3,251,824, 3,388,119, 3,539,365, 3,573,058, 3,684,523, 3,947,604, 4,199,368 and 4,231,802, 4,346,120, 4,400,406, 4,427,701 and 4,421,778 relate to the preparation, or use of various different types of cellulose in a variety of food products. Such cellulose materials have been used or proposed for various reduced fat or substantially fat-free food products requiring a variety of different formulations. However, as the fat content is reduced in food products containing substantial levels of cellulose materials such as microcrystalline cellulose, adverse effects on the body and texture of the food product, and adverse organoleptic effects such as a mouth-coating or astringency sensations, and a lack of a well-rounded organoleptic characteristics tend to become more pronounced.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improved methods for the manufacture of novel, nutritious, low calorie, substantially fat-free processed cheese products such as processed cheese slices which have textures and well-rounded mouthfeel characteristics simulating conventional processed cheese products themselves, as well as desirable stability and functionality characteristics. It is a further object to provide improved, substantially fat-free processed cheese products which have texture and organoleptic characteristics simulating those of conventional fat-containing processed cheese products. These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.